The present invention relates to a tire-chain assembly. More particularly this invention concerns a tire chain adapted to be mounted on a ground-engaging wheel that is on a motor vehicle.
In spite of the considerable advances in tire technology in recent times resulting in the design of relatively effective so-called snowtires for maximum traction under snowy or icy conditions it is essential to use tire chains. In the most common system these chains are each merely constituted as a ladder-like lattice which is laid on the ground ahead of the tire on which it is to be mounted. The vehicle is then advanced so that the wheel rests on a portion of this chain lattice, then the chain is wrapped around the tire and secured at the inner face of the tire, that is the face turned toward the vehicle, and at the outer face of the tire. Then a chain adjuster, typically a large elastic ring provided with a plurality of S-hooks, is secured to the chain at various locations on its periphery on the outer face of the tire to hold it tightly on the wheel.
Such mounting of tire chains is an extremely onerous task, almost invariably complicated by the fact that it is done under snowy and cold conditions. The only way known to ease this relatively burdensome task is to jack up the wheel on which it is being mounted. Obviously, such a procedure, which must be done at least for the two traction wheels of the vehicle, takes a considerable time.
Various tire-chain assemblies have been designed which were intended to simplify the mounting operation. No such assembly has ever in practice proven itself by being relatively easy to mount on the wheel, yet at the same time of low cost and long service life.